Classical and Hellenistic Greece

The Rise of Macedon(355 - 336 BCE)

Macedon Before ca. 350 BCE

“A backward, semi-barbaric land”

People related to Greeks

Not a very powerful country

Philip II

Philip II

Ruled 359 - 336 BCE

Shrewd, ambitious, unscrupulous politician

Got control of gold mines of Amphipolis:

• bribe Greek politicians

• build roads

• build up army

Philip II

Powerful army, but also skilled diplomat

• tricks his way into control of some Greek city-states

• attacks & conquers others

Demosthenes (384 - 322 BCE) warns Athens, but…

Philip II

Battle at Chaeronea is the final defeat

Ruled Greeks leniently

Corinthian League (338 BCE)

Philip II

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Secures Greece

Moves on Persian Empire in 334 BCE

• Captures Asia Minor

• Battles in northern Syria

• Takes Egypt & Mesopotamia

• Occupies, then destroys Persepolis

Alexander the Great

Alexander’s Death

323 BCE, dies of fever at age 33

Various generals take their own piece of the empire:

• Antigonus I ~ “Antigonid Dynasty”

• Seleucus I ~ “Seleucid Dynasty”

• Ptolemy I ~ “Ptolemies”

Hellenistic Civilization & CultureHellenistic Civilization & Culture

Hellenistic Civilization

Things on a much larger scale

Fusion / influence of many more cultures

Greek influence dominates

Building Greek Cities in the East

Hellenistic Culture

The Arts

Medicine

Philosophy

Math & Science

Alexandria, Egypt

Royal Library of Alexandria

• (and Musaeum)

Hellenistic Art

“Old Market Woman”2nd Century BCE

“Aphrodite of Melos”(Venus de Milo) ca. 130 - 100 BCE

$ Advances:• heart as a pump with valves

• use pulse as diagnostic tool

• distinguish between veins & arteries

• nervous system - motion & sensation; brain - intelligence

Hellenistic Medicine

Hellenistic Medicine

$ Cynics Diogeneso reject social conventions & avoid

luxuries

o kosmopolites ~ citizens of the world

o fulfill natural needs in simplest, most direct way

Hellenistic Philosophy

$ Skeptics Pyrrho• pointed out weaknesses in

arguments/beliefs of other schools

• can’t observe/experience things like the ultimate purpose of the universe or life, justice, divinity, the soul, etc. so no need to believe in or worry about them

• nothing can be known

Hellenistic Philosophy

$ Epicurians Epicurus• goal of life is human happiness

• avoid pain, trouble, responsibility

• primacy of sense perception

• practical atheism

Hellenistic Philosophy

$ Stoics Zeno• guiding principle of the world is divine

reason

• happiness comes from living virtuously; virtue is a will in harmony with nature

• strength & self-control to avoid destructive emotions (passions)

Hellenistic Philosophy

$ Scientists / Mathematicians:• Euclid

• Archimedes

• Aristarchus

• Hipparchus, Ptolemy

• Eratosthenes

Hellenistic Science

The bridge of asses theorem states that A=B and C=D.

The sum of angles A, B, and C is equal to 180 degrees.

Pythagoras' theorem: The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) of a right triangle equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c).

Thales' theorem: if AC is a diameter, then the angle at B is a right angle.

next up…

Rome